“They’ve had a tricky schedule” – Mad Dog Russo remains optimistic about Astros, believes early season matchups have harmed record

The Houston Astros have gotten off to a rocky start. They have faced tons of injuries early into the season, especially involving their starting rotation, which has had them searching for arms.

Going into Tuesday, they hold a 6-12 record after dropping the first game of a three-game series to the Atlanta Braves on Monday. They currently find themselves in last place in the AL West, behind the Oakland Athletics.

The rocky start has been a cause for concern amongst insiders and the fanbase. However, MLB Network's Chris "Mad Dog" Russo is not overly concerned with Houston's rough start.

"I guess Valdez feels better than they thought, Verlander is going to come back this weekend against Washington, up in the nation's capital. So they do get a little reinforcement scenario from them," - said Russo.

Russo stated that the return of Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez should greatly help the team. Verlander has yet to debut after being placed on the IL in Spring Training due to shoulder inflammation. Valdez was recently shut down from throwing after experiencing elbow inflammation.

The two are nearly ready to return. Verlander has been working on a minor league assignment, while Valdez returned to throwing on Tuesday. Verlander is set to return this weekend against the Nationals, but there is no timetable for Valdez.

"They've also had a tricky schedule. I mean playing the Yankees their first four games of the year were no picnic" - said Russo.

Russo also points to Houston's tough early schedule for their poor start. It is hard to be successful when a majority of your games came against the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.

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Not much has gone right for the Houston Astros

Houston Astros - Jose Abreu (Image via Getty)

The Houston Astros came into the new season with a few concerns. One of their concerns was how they would deal with the loss of Hector Neris, Ryne Stanek, and Phil Maton to free agency.

While they signed Josh Hader, one of the game's best closers, they still need some innings eaters. The young arms that have made their debuts, just have not lasted long, like Spencer Arighetti lasting three innings in KC.

On top of the pitching issues, some sluggers have looked like a shell of themselves. Jose Abreu is in the middle of a slump, hitting just .082 through the first 15 games.

A combination of injuries, pitching woes, and hitting slumps have given Houston a mountain to climb.